Spring Health Tips

This is the time of year when many of us start to think about getting outside, enjoying the longer days and warmer weather and being more active.
 
This is totally in keeping with the rhythms of the seasons: as nature wakes up, blossoms and grows, so do our bodies feel the need to be more active.  So here are some tips for how to work with the seasons, and also some suggestions for what to do if you experience some of the less pleasant effects of overdoing it with your activities or being outdoors!
 
Foods and supplements to support your liver
In the Chinese Five Element System, Springtime is when the liver is most active. The liver is an awesome organ – it carries out thousands of metabolic activities, breaking chemicals down and detoxifying them, building compounds that your body needs, and helping you to digest your food and regulate your blood sugar.  
 
Spring is the time to give your liver some love.  You can do this by eating generous portions of green leafy vegetables and including sour foods and drinks, like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.  These stimulate and support your liver in all its many essential activities. Try a spinach salad with an olive oil and lemon juice dressing and your liver will love you back.  
 
You can also do a liver cleanse, using Milk Thistle as a daily supplement for a couple of weeks.  Milk thistle stimulates liver detox and cell regeneration and also has the reputation for having anti-inflammatory and anti-ageing properties.  Contact me if you would like recommendations for brands and dosages.

The other important thing to do in the Spring to support your health is to exercise.  It doesn't really matter what you do, but if you find something you enjoy, you are more likely to make it a regular activity.  Walking, hiking, running, biking, swimming, yoga, working out - just find something that you like doing! If you're not used to it, start slowly and gradually build up the duration and intensity.
 
Did you overdo it?
It’s easy to get really enthusiastic about a new exercise routine and do too much or even sustain an injury.  Here are a couple of suggestions for homeopathic remedies that can help ease muscle soreness and strains.  If you have more serious injuries, seek medical advice.
 
Arnica
This is the go-to remedy for muscle soreness from overuse.  You can buy it from Whole Foods, Sprouts, Pharmaca and similar stores – look for the Boiron display with the blue tubes.  Use a 30c potency; you can take this a couple of times a day, but don’t take any remedy for more than a few days. As soon as you feel an improvement, stop taking the remedy.  You can take more if your symptoms return.
 
Rhus toxicodendron (Rhus-tox)
If you have strained a muscle through overlifting, or maybe have a mild sprain and Arnica has not helped, this is the next remedy to think of.  You can take it in the same way as Arnica.
 
If your symptoms are not improving after a few doses, there are more remedies that can be used, and I can help you! Call me on 650 557 2160.
 
Allergies?
If you are experiencing allergies after being outside, you are not alone!  Here are a few self-help measures you can try to relieve your symptoms:

• Take a shower to wash the allergen off your skin and hair
• Drink more water to help flush things out of your system
• Take quercetin in conjunction with bromelain. This can help to reduce inflammation and reduce allergy symptoms.  You can take it as a supplement, but quercetin is also found in foods such as green vegetables (help your liver and your allergies at the same time!) tomatoes, broccoli and berries.  Bromelain is a digestive enzyme found in pineapples.
• Eat local honey – this contains minute amounts of local pollens that can help to desensitize your body
• Increase your omega 3 fatty acids (found in fish oil, krill oil and oily fish such as wild caught salmon and tune).  This also acts as an anti-inflammatory.

There are homeopathic remedies that can help to relieve acute allergy symptoms and also reduce your sensitivity over time.  Contact me for more information.